Your trust

Privacy & household information

Plain language about what we collect and who can see it.

What we collect

When you create an account or request assistance, we ask for contact information, household size, children's gift details when relevant, and a short screening about needs (food, housing, utilities, and similar). Event RSVPs may include party size and dietary notes.

Who can see it

Your profile and requests are not public. Authorized Carcassonne staff and volunteers with admin access use this information to coordinate programs, refer partners when you consent, and report aggregate numbers (for example by ZIP code) for grants. We do not sell your information.

Google Sheet sync

Household and program data may sync to our internal "Carcassonne Community Data" spreadsheet for volunteers who run holiday programs. Formula columns in that sheet are maintained separately — the website writes only the fields it is allowed to update.

Youth accounts (ages 13–17)

Children under 13 cannot create their own online account (federal COPPA rules). A parent or guardian should create the family account and list children in the household profile.

Teens who are 13–17 may create a "youth" account. We ask for date of birth at sign-up and require a parent or guardian name and email. The guardian receives an email with a link to confirm before the teen can submit Request help or Pick & Bow instrument loans. Until then, the teen can still browse and RSVP for public events when those events allow it.

From youth accounts we collect contact information and program needs, but we do not ask teens for household income or public-benefits questions. Youth requests are flagged for staff. The guardian email on file is notified when a teen submits Request help.

Guardians can request a copy of their child's data or delete the youth account the same way as any member: Account → Privacy & delete account, or call the Center.

Account roles

Community member — default free account: Request help, RSVPs, music program, household tracking.
Volunteer — optional profile on your account. Staff approve before you can create public events or classes. Volunteers manage only their own events and attendees — not other members' household or Request help data.
Board member — site administrators assigned in Admin → People. Only existing board members can grant or remove this access.

Youth accounts (13–17) cannot collect payments or create paid classes even as approved volunteers.

Class and event payments

Some events charge a fee through PayPal when the site is configured for card payments. Payments go to Carcassonne's account; instructors are paid offline by staff using totals in admin. Paying does not guarantee a seat if the event is cancelled.

Refunds and cancellations follow each event's settings and staff review — contact the Center if you need help. Carcassonne does not guarantee that volunteers' classes will run or fill.

About requesting help

Carcassonne is a small nonprofit. Submitting a request does not guarantee assistance. What we can do depends on available funds, donations, volunteers, and program rules.

We review every request and help where we can, or try to point you to someone who can.
We may decline, limit, or refer requests based on eligibility and capacity.
Programs may have their own rules and openings.
Carcassonne is not liable for help provided by third parties or volunteers connected through the public needs board — neighbors offer help voluntarily, and we help make introductions.

Public needs board

If you opt in on Request help, staff may approve a short public version of your need on the Community Needs Board. Only the description you approve, a category, general area (such as ZIP), and either your first name or "Anonymous" appear — never address, phone, email, or income details. Neighbors who want to help sign in and send offers to staff; we connect helpers and families. You can remove a need from the board anytime from your account. Posts expire after about 30 days unless staff renew them.

Deleting your account

Sign in and open Account → Privacy & delete account. You can close the account immediately (type the confirmation phrase) or ask staff to process a request. We remove your name, email, phone, and guardian contact fields from the live profile and sign you out.

For grant and program reporting we may keep de-identified counts — for example how many households requested food help in a ZIP code — without attaching your name or contact information. Historical rows tied to your internal user id may remain in that anonymized form.

Your choices

Update your household anytime after signing in.
Export or delete: Account → Privacy & delete account, or call the Center.
Paper forms at the Center are entered by staff on your behalf when you do not use the website.